I Decided to Join the Hardest Reading Challenge Ever Created
Recapping a month's worth of reading for the Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do
In 2024, a reading challenge that has been described as the Hardest Reading Challenge Ever Created first launched.
In 2025, round two of said reading challenge was announced, and I decided to take the leap and try to complete the Hardest Reading Challenge You’ll Ever Do.
What is this reading challenge?
Created by author Stephanie A. Gillis, the Hardest Reading Challenge You’ll Ever Do (HRCYED) is a year-long reading challenge designed to be nearly impossible to complete yet allow readers to expand their reading horizons.
When HRCYED was first announced last year, I didn’t know much about it and didn’t really know if I would have had time to commit to the challenge. Like, I’m not kidding when I say that some of these prompts can be very challenging. The whole design of the reading challenge itself is that most people would be able to complete it.
Fast forward to this past June when HRCYED 2.0 was announced, I was intrigued enough to give HRCYED a try and signed up to be a part of HRCYED 2.0.
What do you have to do for HRCYED 2.0?
HRCYED 2.0 has twenty-five prompt categories for readers to complete in order to win and say that you did the Hardest Reading Challenge Ever Created. I’ve linked the official website in this article for folks who want to learn more about HRCYED and potentially sign up, but to keep things simple, I’m listing below the twenty-five prompt categories that I have a year to complete.
By the 100s
24-Hour Readathon
Subgenres of Choice
Series Staircase
Award Season
TBR Game Challenge
Last 10 Years
Adaptations1
Disability Rep
Heritage Months
Translation Challenge
Around the World
Even Bigger Rainbow
Quote Challenge
Spooky Creatures
Become the Avatar
Participate in Any Readathon
Animals
Queer Alphabet
Favorite HRCYED 1 Prompt
BIPOC Challenge
New Releases2
Custom Prompt
Nonfiction Challenge
Q’s Recs
As you can see, that can be a lot for some people to manage, but I’m up for the challenge and see how many of these prompts I can complete by the end of HRCYED 2.0 in 2026.
That being said, let’s head into my month 1 recap of completing HRCYED 2.0.
Month 1 of HRCYED 2.0
Week 1
# of Books Read: 3
# of Prompts Completed: 5
# of Prompt Categories Completed: 1
I started off HRCYED 2.0 strong during Week 1 since I had more free time than usual that I can dedicate to reading. Waking up at 3:00 AM and going strong for the rest of day one due to traveling, I was able to complete the 24-Hour Readathon, marking my first square on the board. Since that prompt was going to be a bit more challenging for me, I knew that I had to be strategic about when I was going to attempt this prompt and the day when I was going to start HRCYED 2.0 was one of two days that I knew would be my best chances of completing this challenge.
Other than completing the 24-Hour Readathon prompt, the other book I read for Week 1 was Tourist Trap by Morgan Elizabeth, which I was able to use for Favorite HRCYED 1 Prompt (seasonal reads) and May 2025 Release.
What I Read During Week 1
Proud to Be: A Pride Poetry Collection edited by J.K. Larkin
What Prompts I Used for This Book
24-Hour Readathon
Other Prompts This Book Works For
Heritage Months (LGBTQ+ Pride)
Nonfiction Challenge (Poetry)
Mamo by Sas Milledge
What Prompts I Used for This Book
24-Hour Readathon
Around the World (Australia)
Other Prompts This Book Works For
By the 100s (200-299)
Subgenre (Fantasy - Adventure)
Tourist Trap by Morgan Elizabeth
What Prompts I Used for This Book
Favorite HRCYED 1 Prompt (Seasonal - Summer)
New Releases (May 2025)
Other Prompts This Book Works For
By the 100s (300-399)
Subgenre (Romance - Contemporary)
Last 10 Years (2025)
Around the World (North America)
Even Bigger Rainbow (Pink)
Animals (Exotic Pets)
Week 2
# of Books Read: 3
# of Prompts Completed: 5
# of Prompt Categories Completed: N/A
Keeping up the momentum from Week 1, I was able to finish three books during Week 2, including July’s Secret Prompt (read a book in its entirety outside). I was also able to use my IRL book club’s July Pick to count for two prompts on the board, which just made my reading for this week a bit easier to manage.
What I Read During Week 2
There are Trans People Here by H. Melt
What Prompts I Used for This Book
Secret Prompt
Other Prompts This Book Works For
Heritage Months (LGBTQ+ Pride)
Even Bigger Rainbow (Purple)
Queer Alphabet (Transgender, Non-binary)
Nonfiction Challenge (Poetry)
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
What Prompts I Used for This Book
Award Season (Semi-Finalist)
Animals (Exotic Pets)
Other Prompts This Book Works For
By the 100s (400-499)
Subgenre (Historical Fiction - Mystery)
Series Staircase (Standalone)
Award Season (Semi-Finalist, Finalist)
Last 10 Years (2023)
Around the World (North America)
Even Bigger Rainbow (Light Blue)
Avatar (Water)
Animals (Farm Animals)
Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain by Juan E. Zambrano
What Prompts I Used for This Book
TBR Game
Around the World (South America)
Other Prompts This Book Works For
By the 100s (100-199)
Subgenre (Fantasy - Adventure)
Last 10 Years (2025)
Even Bigger Rainbow (Purple)
BIPOC Challenge (Venezuelan)
New Releases (June 2025)
Weeks 3-4
# of Books Read: 2
# of Prompts Completed: 4
# of Prompt Categories Completed: N/A
Honestly, I view these weeks as two sides of a coin. On one side, I didn’t really finish a lot of books during these two weeks. On the other side, I’ve been making progress on books I’m planning to use for HRCYED, so I’m honestly just making as much input as I have in other weeks.
What I Read During Weeks 3-4
The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
What Prompts I Used for This Book
New Release (July 2025)
Custom Prompt (Reading My Library Holds)
Other Prompts This Book Works For
By the 100s (300-399)
Subgenre (Fantasy - Romance, Gaslamp)
Last 10 Years (2025)
Around the World (Europe)
Spooky Creatures (Magic User)
The Backwater Sermons by Jay Hulme
What Prompts I Used for This Book
Around the World (Europe)
Nonfiction Challenge (Poetry)
Other Prompts This Book Works For
Last 10 Years (2021)
Queer Alphabet (Transgender)
Week 5
# of Books Read: 1
# of Prompts Completed: 1
# of Prompt Categories Completed: N/A
I wrapped up July and my first month of HRCYED 2.0 by reading Amal El-Mohtar’s The River Has Roots in only a single sitting. I didn’t know what to expect heading into this book other than that it was really short and so many people were raving about the book online. However, I could see myself reading other works from her. The writing had such a poetic and surreal tone that I really liked, however my only critique (albeit a small one) was that the pacing was a bit too fast for my liking.
What I Read During Week 5
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
What Prompts I Used for This Book
By the 100s (100-199)
Other Prompts This Book Works For
Subgenre (Fantasy - Romance, Fairytale)
Series Staircase (Standalone)
Last 10 Years (2025)
Spooky Creatures (Fae, Magic User)
Queer Alphabet (Non-binary)
BIPOC Challenge (Lebanese)
Epilogue
Overall, I ended up reading nine books during my first month of HRCYED, thus completing thirteen prompts and one overall prompt category. I think I’m making good momentum for the start of HRCYED, though I know I have eleven more months to keep up the pace without getting burnt out. I’m just checking off prompts as I go about my reading as of right now, though I am halfway through the Around the World prompt and I just have to read books for the North America, Africa, and Asia prompts.
August is going to be an interesting month for me since I’m also going to be doing ARC August this month to fulfill the Any Readathon prompt while also doing HRCYED stuff. Technically I’m on the non-competitive team, but I still want to try reading as many ARCs and other books as I can during the readathon. Plus, I have a couple of books that I’m really excited to read in August and I can’t wait to share them with you all on here.
If you want to follow along on my journey in attempting to complete the Hardest Reading Challenge You’ll Ever Do, make sure to subscribe for HRCYED 2.0 monthly recaps as well as other bookish content.
Let’s Do Good With Books today and everyday!
In this case, you either have to read the original source/adapted book or watch an adaptation.
New releases within sixty (60) days of release date, so either sixty days before a book is published or sixty days after a book is published.
I’m intrigued. I may start to do some of the prompts now!